The Mudgee Region, a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Sydney, is renowned for its family-run boutique wineries and culture of food, art and music.

Wineries taking part include Burrundulla Wines, Robert Stein Vineyard, Lowe Wines, and Huntington Estate, and while we recommend a trip to Mudgee itself, there’s no harm in sampling.

The festival’s free showpiece event takes place on Saturday and Sunday at Pirrama Park, with around 100 stalls providing the opportunity to meet wine-makers and taste a wide range of produce. Live music and an exhibition of more than 250 artworks by local artists (the Ninth Annual Pyrmont Prize) will accompany proceedings.

The rest of the festival includes degustation dinners, progressive diner walks (a gastronomy tour of Pyrmont’s top eateries), a 10-course banquet and long, lazy lunches around the harbour-side suburb.

The Pyrmont Festival will run from Friday May 15 to Sunday May 24, with a special event on Saturday May 16 and Sunday May 17.